• Released.
• Release thread.
• beta 1.4.1o removed.

Following the completion of the transcode from Delphi/ASM to C++ (thanks again to Tycho for initiating that process!!), a couple of bugs have required a small patch, so I'm using that as an excuse to start a new development thread....

Changelog:

lossyWAV v1.4.1a 19/05/2015

• Cosmetic issue regarding display of time corrected (thanks Atak_Snajpera for bringing this to my attention);
• Bug in input scaling corrected (not an issue if scaling was not used previously while processing).

"Added noise linear PCM bitdepth reduction method"

The changlog doesn't mention this...

PS. now I'm still interested in the extreme modes I mentioned earlier. Is there a way you could add an "over the top" mode so the artifacts become very clear?
I would like to see where the artifacts become clear and tune it unit I cannot hear any diffirence and then compare the size of that file to the xtraportable mode.

I hope something like that is easy to implement and you are willing to do that some time

Quote from: Fairy on 2015-05-19 13:07:49

PS. now I'm still interested in the extreme modes I mentioned earlier. Is there a way you could add an "over the top" mode so the artifacts become very clear?
I would like to see where the artifacts become clear and tune it unit I cannot hear any difference and then compare the size of that file to the xtraportable mode.

I hope something like that is easy to implement and you are willing to do that some time

Anything is possible - if I do create such a beta version with more aggressive preset(s) then it will be time limited (as previous development versions have been).

It should be noted that Beta 1.4.1a is not time limited as the patches are considered to be final in and of themselves.

Is such a version will be made available, please let me know
I'd love to play with these settings/options !

PS. Maybe an extra setting for noisy environments like a car. Extra small files... I wonder how 192kbit/s lossyflac files sound like.

Quote from: Fairy on 2015-05-19 14:47:12

Is such a version will be made available, please let me know
I'd love to play with these settings/options !

PS. Maybe an extra setting for noisy environments like a car. Extra small files... I wonder how 192kbit/s lossyflac files sound like.

The "problem" with assuming that cars are noisy is that they are not permanently so - stop by the roadside and, even with the engine running, the noise is significantly reduced when compared to motorway speeds. Shut the engine off and there's even less noise. That said, even eXtraportable is probably a bit on the cautious side with respect to internal settings (at least it was meant to be).

I'll give it a go and revert, as and when I have something to offer in that regard.

You can try the following with any lossyWAV quality setting you wish.

1. Run lossyWAV with the -C switch to generate a "correction" file (as well as a lossy processed file).
2. Load the original file and the correction file into a multitrack audio editor like Audacity so they play back at the same time.
3. Invert the correction file (optional, but best practice).
4. Increase the volume of the correction file until you can hear it above the original audio file.

There you have it: audible lossyWAV artefacts. Enjoy!

5. Decrease the volume of the correction file until you can no longer hear the artefacts.
If the gain is less than 0dB (i.e. negative; the correction file is now quieter than it was to start with) then the lossy encoding was probably not transparent to you.
If the gain is more than 0dB, then the lossy encoding was probably transparent to you, or you need to concentrate more carefully to hear and/or learn the artefacts.


It's not exactly what lossyWAV will do if you force the quality down, but it's close enough in terms of what it sounds like, and this is an easy way of learning the sound of lossyWAV artefacts.

This way you can also discover the sound and level of the artefacts at the various quality settings, by making them far louder (and hence audible). Unless you listen to the correction file on its own, or increase its level significantly in the above method, you aren't likely to hear what's done in standard or insane quality.

Cheers,
David.

I didn't suggest listening to the difference/correction file on its own. I suggested adding it back to the original file, but louder. It doesn't accurately simulate what a lower quality mode would do, but it usually makes the artefacts from the actual quality setting you chose easier to hear, which seems to be what you need.

Cheers,
David.

Just stopping by to say that it's great to see you still work on this project. I love the concept of lossyWAV, which is obviously why I initiated the translation into a more accessible language (but it was fun too).

lossyWAV beta 1.4.1b attached to post #1 in this thread.

Processing my 10 album test set using "-q M" results in a bitrate (FLAC -8, -b 512) of 241 kbit/s.

The aggressive mode is quite usable, but off course with audible noise,

Quote from: Fairy on 2015-05-21 20:21:31

The aggressive mode is quite usable, but off course with audible noise,

Next you should try if your chosen lossyWav(+Flac) quality does sound actually better, in your car, than a lossy codec with a perceptible model (like LAME or (ogg)Vorbis). The latter will save considerably more space.

BTW. It's a pity that this thread about lossyWAV 1.5.0. isn't about 1.5.0 at all. Could we start again please? 

What's the difference between LossyWAV and WAVPack lossy? Besides the portability, is there any difference in quality?

But what quality restraint should come from FLAC usage? We have a blocksize restraint, but this is not about quality. It's also not about FLAC but about the fact that blocksize has to be small in order to have a significant bitdepth reduction for many blocks.

I'm not sure I understand the point of using lossyWAV with anything besides FLAC

I also see the usefulness only with FLAC. FLAC usage is the big plus.

Coldcut - Let Us Play (1997)
Used as image, 786 235 874 bytes, LossyWav 1.4.0 -q S

                                              enc.size      enc.time     enc.mem
                                            -----------     ---------    --------
flac 1.3.1           -8 --blocksize=512     241 393 727     38.093s      13MB
takc 2.1.0 Beta3b    -e -p4m -tn4 -cLW      215 280 441     29.765s       5MB